Maya’s headache back, this time it’s splitting

The BJP’s peacemaking efforts in Uttar Pradesh blew up in its face today when 12 of its MLAs, with six Independents, met Governor Vishn...

The BJP’s peacemaking efforts in Uttar Pradesh blew up in its face today when 12 of its MLAs, with six Independents, met Governor Vishnu Kant Shastri and demanded that he convene an Assembly session at the earliest. The move — in the middle of Kushabhau Thakre’s peace mission — leaves the combine with the effective backing of only 198 MLAS in a house of 403.

Even as BJP state chief Vinay Katiyar admitted that it was ‘‘a major crisis’’, Mayawati moved into action. Accompanied by BJP legislature party leader and Urban Development Minister Lalji Tandon, she met Speaker Kesari Nath Tripathi late at night to find a way out.

THE UNFOLDING DRAMA

11 a.m.: Rebels’ leader Ganga Bhakt Singh calls meeting of party legislators, guarantees no media presence
4 p.m.: BJP coordination committee meets under Thakre, attended by Lalji, Rajnath, Kalraj and Katiyar
5.30 p.m.: Leadership decides to suspend MLA Kovid Kumar Singh
5.40 p.m.: 12 BJP legislators and some Independents meet Governor, say govt in minority, demand immediate convening of House
6.30 p.m.: Mayawati visits Speaker Tripathi
6.40 p.m.: State BJP chief Vinay Katiyar admits crisis in BJP but no immediate threat to govt

Sources said the government was finding it difficult to gather sufficient evidence to justify the disqualification of rebel MLAs. The dissidents had strategically avoided mentioning their withdrawal of support to avoid anti-defection laws and have now left the government in a Catch-22 situation: on paper, in a majority, yet unable to prove it on the floor of the House.

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Mayawati will also now find it difficult to recommend dissolution of the Assembly.

Political observers believe more BJP MLAs could join the rebels in the days to come since their leader Ganga Bhakta Singh was not among the MLAs who met the Governor today. ‘‘At least two dozen MLAs are waiting in the wings to join us when the trial of strength is held’’, Kovid Kumar Singh, a BJP MLA among today’s 12, said as the rebels left Raj Bhavan.

Surprisingly, for such a major crisis in a crucial state, the BJP was extremely slow to react. From Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee — MP for Lucknow — and Deputy PM LK Advani to party president M Venkaiah Naidu and Human Resources Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi, nobody had bothered to personally take charge of the situation.

Thakre, a former party president, had been sent too late and simply oversaw the crisis snowball.

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On the face of it, today’s defiance looked like a reaction to the suspension of Kovid Kumar Singh by the party leadership a few hours before, and to the refusal of Thakre to revoke suspension of their leaders Ganga Bhakt Singh and Ramashees Rai.

‘‘We are open to dialogue and want the dissidents to sit with us and sort out any differences as a member of the family’’, Katiyar said while announcing Singh’s suspension.

Meanwhile Samjwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, who met the rebels today and is in close touch with them, stepped up the pressure on his bete noire. He’s sending a delegation of 142 MLAs of his party and 23 other MLASs to meet Shastri tomorrow.

However, there’s little he can do on his own, and he admitted as much in an indirect manner. ‘‘Now that the government has lost its majority, the Congress must decide and decide quickly’’, he warned.